Happy Tree Friends facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Happy Tree Friends |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre |
|
| Created by |
|
| Developed by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Creative director(s) | Dean MacDonald |
| Starring |
|
| Composer(s) |
|
| Country of origin |
|
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 94 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | David Ichioka |
| Running time | 1–5 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Mondo Media |
| Release | |
| Original network | Mondo Media YouTube (2007–present) |
| Original release | December 2000 – present |
Happy Tree Friends (often called HTF) is a cartoon web series created by Aubrey Ankrum, Rhode Montijo, and Kenn Navarro. It features cute, colorful forest animals. The show is a playful take on typical children's cartoons. In each episode, these adorable characters often find themselves in unexpected and silly situations. These lead to over-the-top cartoon mishaps. The series first appeared in December 2000. It quickly became very popular and grew into a big franchise. This includes a television show of the same name.
Contents
Happy Tree Friends: A Fun Cartoon World
How Happy Tree Friends Started
While working at Mondo Media, Rhode Montijo drew a character. This character later became Shifty. He also drew a yellow rabbit, similar to Cuddles. Montijo shared his ideas, and Mondo Media liked them. In 1999, Aubrey Ankrum, Rhode Montijo, and Kenn Navarro made a short cartoon. It was called "Banjo Frenzy." In this short, a dinosaur (an early version of Lumpy) caused funny trouble for three woodland animals. These were early versions of Giggles, Cuddles, and Toothy. From this, Mondo Media gave them their own internet series. They named it Happy Tree Friends.
The first episodes of Happy Tree Friends were made in 1999. They were released online around 2000. The show became very popular, getting millions of views each month. It was also shown at film festivals.
John Evershed, the CEO of Mondo Media, said that animator Kenn Navarro was key to the show's success. He believed Navarro had a clear vision. He thought the show was something many people could enjoy.
In 2014, after the episode "Dream Job," Mondo Media planned a movie. However, in 2016, Kenn Navarro said he didn't know about a movie being made. He mentioned his team was talking about making more short episodes. Later, he explained that only a story idea was worked on for the movie.
On December 22, 2016, Mondo Media released five new episodes. They were sold online as "Happy Tree Friends: Still Alive." These episodes came with bonus materials. These included background designs and animation processes. In January 2017, Kenn Navarro shared that sales were okay, but not as high as hoped.
On August 17, 2023, a new episode was announced. It was called "Too Much Scream Time." It was released on September 27, 2023. This episode was part of a crossover with the action video game The Crackpet Show. On October 18, 2024, another new episode, "Happy Train Friends," was released. This was a crossover with Dumb Ways to Die.
What is Happy Tree Friends About?
Happy Tree Friends focuses on the lives of colorful, talking woodland animals. At first glance, it looks like a typical cartoon for young children. The opening and closing scenes look like classic storybooks. Most main characters have a cute, friendly design. The series is actually a playful take on children's shows. It has similarities to shows like Sesame Street.
Each episode starts peacefully. The characters are doing everyday activities. But then, a sudden event happens. This event, sometimes accidental, leads to many characters getting into very silly and over-the-top cartoon accidents. The characters often experience funny predicaments or cartoon chaos. However, they always return alive and well in the next episode.
Episodes and TV Show
List of Happy Tree Friends episodes There are 132 cartoon segments in total. These include ninety-three web episodes and thirteen television episodes.
The TV Series
The Happy Tree Friends television series first showed at San Diego Comic-Con in 2006. Some episodes were available online a few weeks before the TV premiere. The TV series officially started on September 25, 2006. It aired on G4's late-night block.
The show also aired on Canadian channels like Razer (now MTV2) and Citytv. Internationally, it was broadcast on MTV in Europe and Latin America. It also aired on Animax in South Africa.
Meet the Happy Tree Friends Characters
Main Characters
- Cuddles – A yellow rabbit with big ears and pink cheeks. He is sometimes adventurous and takes risks. Other times, he is cute and cuddly. He is a very popular character. He often gets into funny accidents involving vehicles or getting tangled up. He is voiced by Kenn Navarro.
- Giggles – A pink chipmunk with a small red bow. She was the first female character introduced. She is generally considered a girly girl. She is best friends with Petunia. She often has silly accidents involving being squashed or head-related mishaps. She has been voiced by Dana Belben, Ellen Connell, and Lori Jee.
- Toothy – A purple beaver with freckles and huge front teeth. He is friends with Cuddles. He often gets into funny accidents involving his eyes or pointy things. Many consider him a simple character. He is voiced by Warren Graff.
- Lumpy – A blue moose with mismatched antlers. He is very silly and sometimes causes funny accidents for others and himself. He has had more jobs than any other character. He is the tallest main character. He is often seen as an adult. Most of the funny accidents he causes are by mistake. He was first voiced by Rhode Montijo and later by David Winn.
- Petunia – A blue skunk with a pink flower and a tree air freshener necklace. She is best friends with Giggles. In later seasons, she has a very strong need to keep everything clean and tidy. She often has silly accidents involving her head or household items. She has been voiced by Dana Belben, Ellen Connell, and Lori Jee.
- Handy – An orange beaver with hands wrapped in bandages. He wears a tool belt and a yellow hard hat. His bandaged hands sometimes cause funny trouble for him or others. He often does construction work. He often gets into silly accidents involving glass, getting squashed, or head-related mishaps. He is voiced by Warren Graff.
- Nutty – A jittery green squirrel who loves candy very much. He is always giggling. He will do anything to get candy, which sometimes leads to funny situations for him or others. He has one small black pupil on his left eye. His right eye looks a bit different. He often gets into silly accidents involving his mouth, getting squashed, or breathing difficulties. Michael "Lippy" Lipman voices him.
- Sniffles – A brainy blue anteater with big glasses. He is very intelligent but sometimes lacks common sense. He makes many inventions, but these often backfire. He often tries to catch a family of ants. But they are very clever and usually turn the tables on him in funny ways. He often gets into silly accidents involving his tongue, head, or his own inventions. He is voiced by Liz Stuart.
- Pop and Cub – Two tan father-and-son bears. Pop often has a pipe and wears a robe. Cub wears a diaper and a beanie with a propeller. Pop, though well-meaning, often accidentally causes funny trouble for Cub and others. When he sees Cub in a silly predicament, he gets upset. Pop has a good survival rate. Pop is voiced by Aubrey Ankrum. Cub has been voiced by Dana Belben, Ellen Connell, and Lori Jee.
- Flaky – A red, nervous porcupine with some flaky quills. She is very nervous and easily scared of silly accidents. She often laughs nervously. She is a popular character because of her understandable fear. Kenn Navarro confirmed that Flaky is female. She often gets into silly accidents like getting tangled, singed, or chased by animals. She is voiced by Nica Lorber.
- The Mole – A mute, blind purple mole. He wears black glasses and a turtleneck sweater. Because he can't see, his actions sometimes lead to funny mix-ups for him and others. He often does things blind people shouldn't, like reading or driving. He rarely gets into major trouble. When he does, it often involves his head, getting squashed, or unexpected explosions.
- Disco Bear – A golden bear with an afro and '70s-style clothes. He often tries to flirt with Giggles and Petunia, but usually fails. He sometimes has funny health troubles. He often gets into silly accidents involving his head, eyes, or explosions. He is voiced by Peter Hermann.
- Russell – A teal sea otter. He looks like a stereotypical pirate. But he is not actually a pirate. He enjoys innocent water activities. He often gets into silly accidents involving vehicles, pointy objects, or funny sea adventures. He was first voiced by Jeff Biancalana and later by Francis Carr.
- Lifty and Shifty – Two green raccoons who love to try and take valuable things. Shifty wears a dark green fedora. They are brothers but often argue. One brother might try to trick the other for loot. But their plans often go wrong, leading to funny consequences for them. They often get caught in silly traps, machines, or hot situations. Both were initially voiced by Mark Giambruno and later by Kenn Navarro.
- Mime – A purple deer with a white painted face and striped shirt. He tries to be entertaining. But because he doesn't talk, it sometimes leads to funny misunderstandings and accidents for others. He is often seen riding a unicycle. He often gets into silly accidents involving his head, metal objects, machines, or vehicles. His rare noises are provided by Sarah Castelblanco.
- Cro-Marmot – A yellow-green marmot frozen in a giant block of ice. This means he can't talk. He lives in an igloo in a giant snow globe. Despite being frozen, he can do many tasks. He often drives an ice cream truck. He rarely gets into major trouble. When he does, it often involves heat or unexpected events. His only on-screen silly accident happens in "Dino-Sore Days."
- Flippy – A green bear in a soldier uniform. He is a war veteran. He has a very strong reaction to loud noises or sudden events that remind him of his past adventures. Normally, he is friendly. But when he hears or sees something that reminds him of adventure, his personality changes. He starts to cause a lot of cartoon chaos, thinking he's still in a big adventure. This other side is sometimes called "Fliqpy." He is one of the most popular characters. He causes the most cartoon chaos. He rarely gets into major trouble. His silly accidents usually happen when he's his friendly self, or when Lumpy accidentally causes them. Kenn Navarro voices Flippy. His other side, Fliqpy, is voiced by Aubrey Ankrum.
- Splendid – A blue flying squirrel with a red superhero mask. He is a superhero. But ironically, his amazing powers often lead to unexpected and silly problems. He sometimes doesn't realize the funny messes he creates. He is similar to Superman. His only weakness is a special green acorn called Kryptonut. This was shown in the episode "Gems the Breaks," which was also his only on-screen silly accident. He was first voiced by Rhode Montijo and later by David Winn.
- Lammy – A purple sheep with a purple bow. She has a friend named Mr. Pickels, a pickle who seems to cause a lot of mischief and silly accidents for others. This sometimes makes it hard for Lammy to make friends. She is voiced by Renée T. MacDonald.
- Mr. Pickels – A mute, talking pickle with a top hat and mustache. He is a bit like Flippy's other side. He loves to cause cartoon mischief and silly accidents for anyone nearby. He is Lammy's "imaginary friend." In one episode, Giggles could also see him. He caused a lot of mischief in his first appearance.
Other Fun Characters
- Buddhist Monkey – A yellow Buddhist monk monkey. He has appeared in three episodes. His enemies, the Generic Tree Ninjas, are bears who try to cause trouble for him. He is voiced by Jeff Biancalana.
- Generic Tree Friends - These are background characters. They often appear in groups. Usually, only their outlines and faces are seen.
- Truffles - A bluish-gray boar. Truffles was a candidate to become a main character. Lammy won the contest. Truffles has appeared in cameo roles. He has been involved in funny accidents in a few episodes. It was said that he is a bit of a bully.
- Unicornius - A simply drawn white unicorn with a rainbow horn and tail. Fans created this character. He appeared as a cameo in "Pet Peeve."
- Tricksy - A white and brown ferret who loves pranks. Fans created this character. He appeared as a cameo in "Pet Peeve."
- Rudy - A purple ram dressed like Ryu from the Street Fighter video game. Fans created this character. He appeared as a cameo in "A Vicious Cycle."
- FatKat - A blue cat who appeared in a short called "Take Your Seat." He is based on the mascot of FatKat Animation. This studio worked on the Happy Tree Friends TV series.
- Fall Out Boy - The real-life band Fall Out Boy appeared as cartoon versions of themselves. This was in their music video for "The Carpal Tunnel of Love." The Happy Tree Friends crew animated it. All four members get into funny cartoon accidents in the video.
Happy Tree Friends in Games and Other Shows
Fall Out Boy's 2007 music video for "The Carpal Tunnel of Love" was directed by Kenn Navarro. It stars characters from the series. The band members also appeared as animated characters.
A mobile video game called Happy Tree Friends: Spin Fun was released in 2005.
A video game titled Happy Tree Friends: False Alarm was released on June 25, 2008. It was made for Xbox Live Arcade on the Xbox 360 and PC. An iOS game, Happy Tree Friends: Deadeye Derby, came out on January 16, 2014.
On August 17, 2023, Mondo Media and Ravenage Games announced a crossover. It was between Happy Tree Friends and the action video game The Crackpet Show. This downloadable expansion, The Crackpet Show: Happy Tree Friends Edition, was released on September 27, 2023. It is available on Steam, GOG.com, and Epic Games Store. It is also on Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch gaming consoles.
Spin-off Adventures
A spin-off series called Ka-Pow! was released in September 2008. It features action stories with The Mole, Flippy, Splendid, and Buddhist Monkey. Six episodes have been made.
In 2014, Kenn Navarro created D_Void. This show is similar to Happy Tree Friends. Two episodes were made and uploaded to the Mondo Media YouTube channel in mid-2020.
See also
In Spanish: Happy Tree Friends para niños
